How to Charge a NiCd Battery Without a Charger – Introduction, and Comparison

Batteries play a very important role in the world today. It's hard to imagine where we would be without them. However, they need to be charged constantly to give the power needed in running electronic appliances.

And that is where many people get confused. What charger should you use for a specific battery and voltage? And how long should you charge the batteries? We have often met with these questions, and it always seems like there is no specific answer.

Our focus today is on NiCd batteries. Keep reading to discover how to charge them. 

Keep reading.

Can You Charge an 18V Battery with a 12V Charger?

When you buy a battery that you want to charge yourself, the challenge of choosing the right charger is always imminent. You want a charger that is designed specifically for the battery.

One of the main factors to consider is the battery voltage. Chargers are designed based on the different battery voltages out there. In other words, you cannot use a charger meant for a higher voltage to charge a lower voltage battery.

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How do you charge your 18V battery?

Here is one question that seems ridiculous at first. But if you think about it, there are so many people who have no clue what choice of charger to pick.

You need to set the charger at a higher voltage. That is because you will realize the full voltage will be slightly higher than 18V at the end of the charging. It's crucial to set it so that the battery gains optimum performance.

If the battery seems to stay under 18V when you are charging, it could be that your battery is weakening. Nothing much can be done when the battery losses its capacity.

Using a Lower Voltage Charger

It's possible to charge a higher voltage battery with a lower voltage charger. Even though some experts recommend not trying it, the decision remains yours.

So, should you do it? Well, it's not a very good idea. You need to understand that there are always consequences when you use the wrong charge for any battery. Sometimes people do this and get away with whatever happened after.

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When buying a charger, finding one that fits your battery is always recommended. A low-voltage charge will negatively impact your battery. You may not notice the effect immediately, but it will happen.

You must consider the amperage of both the charger and the battery. If your charge is different in amperage from the battery, it will affect the battery's capacity.

Things can get even worse when there is a higher electrical charger supplied by the charger than what the battery requires. We have seen batteries explode because the users were not careful enough to keep in mind the voltage.

In a nutshell, if there is a 12V power supply, you can only get up to 12V in your battery. You will never get anything higher than 12V, and it may not serve the purpose.? So, using a 12V charger for an 18V battery is possible but not recommended. It's better to buy a charger designed to serve that specific battery.

How Can You Change Your Battery Without a Charger?

Yes, it's possible to charge a battery, especially car batteries, without a charger. However, you need to be very careful because some batteries are designed to use specific chargers. Doing anything contrary can lead to further damage to the battery.

Here are some methods you can use:

Using Jump Leads

You can jumpstart the car battery when it's completely dead to at least start the engine. Once the engine comes to life, the car will take you wherever you want to go until you get a good charger.

The jump leads will not fully charge the battery. But it will give you enough power to start the engine and get to your destination. In such a case, do not turn off the engine until you get where you want to go.

To do this:

Find a wire brush and clean the terminals on the battery.

Connect your battery to the donor car, starting with the negative terminal. Keep both cars running for at least 10 minutes.

Using a Solar Panel

Another easy way to charge your battery without a charger is by connecting it to a solar panel. This requires you to have powerful solar panels installed in your house. Unfortunately, this is not the most effective way to juice up a dead battery.

You will need a solar charge controller to prevent the battery from overcharging. This could affect the lifespan of our battery, reducing it where you may have had more years.

UPS Inverter

You can also charge your battery using a UPS inverter. Most of our homes today have these inverters. It should, therefore, not be a big issue accessing one. These devices convert the DC power of the battery to AC power, like electricity, and hence, can charge your battery.

Change the Battery Cell

If you have a dead battery pack, you can charge it by replacing the dead cells with a new and charged one. Although this complex method requires some specific knowledge, it's an effective way to charge your battery. All you have to do is find new and fully charged cells and then put them in the place of the dead cells inside the battery pack.

Can You Charge a NiCd Battery with a Lithium Charger?

Never use a lithium charger on a NiCd battery unless it's a smart charger that can sense the differences. This is because NiCd Batteries have a nominal voltage of 1.2V while lithium has 3.7v. This is a huge difference that affects the charging process of each battery.

A pure Li-ion charger emits a constant charge current. That means the voltage may be too high for the NiCd battery, potentially damaging it in the process.

Another problem is that the li-ion charger will attempt to keep the current going when fully charged by trying and raising the NiCd cell to the same level as the li-ion. You will end up with a cooked battery.